Chapter 10 Sanitizers
Soil that remains on food processing
equipment after use is usually contaminated
with microorganisms nourished by the nutri-
ents of soil deposits. This contaminant pro-
vides a medium for microbial proliferation.
A sanitary environment is obtained through
removing soil deposits with subsequent
destruction of residual microorganisms.
There are different sanitizing agents and
application methods. The United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has
defined three categories of microbial treat-
ments based on their general level of effec-
tiveness.
Asterilantis an agent that destroys or elimi-
nates all forms of microbial life. Chemical ster-
ilants include ethylene oxide, glutaraldehyde,
and peroxyacetic acid. Heat, both dry heat
ovens and moist heat such as steam under pres-
sure, or autoclaving is a sterilization process.
Adisinfectantis an agent that kills infec-
tious fungi and vegetative bacteria although
not necessarily bacterial spores on inanimate
surfaces. Disinfection is a less lethal process
than sterilization. General disinfectants are
the major source of products used in house-
holds, swimming pools, and water purifiers.
Asanitizeris a substance that reduces, but
not necessarily eliminates microbial contam-
inants on inanimate surfaces to levels that
are considered to be safe from a public
health standpoint. A sanitizer is effective in
destroying vegetative cells. Sanitizers are reg-
ulated by the EPA and require stringent lab-
oratory test data and registration. They are
categorized as no-rinse food-contact surface
sanitizers and non-food-contact surface san-
itizers. Food-contact sanitizers include sani-
tizing rinses for equipment, utensils, and
containers used in dairy processing plants,
food processing, and beverage plants, and
eating and drinking establishments.
A biocide is a substance (Giambrone,
2004) that provides microbial control of a
process (fogging disinfection, disinfection of
an aseptic line, or biofilm removal). These
compounds are classified as oxidative sani-
tizer biocides (various halogens), hydrogen
peroxide-based biocides (peracetic acid,
peracids, chlorine dioxide, and ozone), and
surfactant-based biocides (acid anionic sul-
fonic acid, sulfonated fatty acids, and quater-
nary ammonium compounds). Others are
chlorohexidine gluconate, phenolics, and alde-
hydes (glutaraldehyde and formaldehyde).Sanitizing methods
Thermal
Thermal sanitizing is relatively inefficient
because of the energy required. Its efficiency165